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Feature: Madagascar remembers victims in uprising against French colonizers

Xinhua, March 29, 2017 Adjust font size:

Madagascar marked on Wednesday the 70th anniversary of its uprising against France, remembering tens of thousands of victims in a fight against French colonizers.

Various remembrance activities, including worship, wreath-laying ceremony, decoration of nationalists, carnivals and exhibition as well as banquets were held throughout the country.

A national event was led by Madagascar President Hery Rajaonarimampianina in the town of Moramanga, 110 km northeast of capital Antananarivo.

A massive delegation from Antananarivo led by the Madagascar president held a wreath-laying ceremony in the village of Ampanihifana near Moramanga, where hundreds nationalists are buried in a cemetery of martyrs.

The delegation then continued with a second wreath-laying ceremony in the town of Moramanga.

"I congratulate the survivors of 29 march 1947 for their transfer of patriotism flame to us, their descendent," said the Madagascar president in a heavy rain pouring down on Moramanga.

Rajaonarimampianina announced that subvention from the government to the survivors will triple from 100,000 ariary to 300,000 ariary by trimester (one U.S dollar is worth about 3,000 ariary).

For his part, Defense Minister Beni Xavier Rasolofonirina called on all stakeholders in the country, from leaders to ordinary citizens, to spread the spirit of unity for all Malagasy people.

After the official ceremony, the Madagascar president visited a photo exhibition organized by Madagascar's News Agency (ANTA) showing scenes of a sad event in Madagascar.

On March 29, 1947, the uprising against France broke out throughout Madagascar, with the most violent incident in Moramanga, where French soldiers shot dead in a train hundreds of protesters.

A survivor named Rakoto Daniel, 94, told Xinhua that the uprising against French colonizers followed protests against the drudgery imposed by France to Madagascar, the payment of tax by Malagasy people to French people in their homeland Madagascar, and the manner in which French colonizers treated the Malagasy people.

Repression led to many excesses and war crimes such as torture and burnt villages, according to the history of Madagascar.

Statistics released by France, shortly after the event, said pacification by France in Madagascar resulted in 89,000 Malagasy victims in 20 months.

This toll is considered very high since there were 700,000 habitants in the concerned regions.

Madagascar was colonized by France from 1896 to 1960 and achieved its independence on June 26, 1960. Endit